Key Security Indicators (KPIs/KRIs) for Senior Management
Security indicators relevant to executives
KPIs measure the security program's performance, such as the average incident response time, while KRIs are early warning signs of a growing risk, such as the number of unpatched systems critical to the business. For senior management, the difference matters because a good indicator dashboard shouldn't show dozens of technical metrics, but a handful that really help decide where to focus attention and budget next quarter. A practical example is tracking the trend in the percentage of employees who complete security training and cross-referencing it with incidents caused by human error, because if both metrics move together, leadership has concrete evidence that investing in awareness reduces real risk, not just meets a formal requirement.